EcoWaste Coalition Finds Underarm Cream Laced with Toxic Mercury
15 December 2024, Quezon City. The toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition has uncovered the illegal sale of another product for whitening the armpit that contains mercury, a health-damaging chemical forbidden in cosmetics.
“The year is about to end and we continue to discover unauthorized products with hidden mercury ingredient in brazen violation of the ban on mercury use in cosmetics such as skin lightening products,” said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.
“The detection of mercury in more underarm creams is problematic as many Filipinos are known to use products to lighten the armpits,” she added.
The group has been tracking mercury-laden cosmetics, particularly skin lightening products, which pose serious threats to human health and the ecosystems. Its findings are promptly reported to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for law enforcement action.
For its latest discovery, the EcoWaste Coalition found mercury in Q-nic Care Whitening Underarm Cream that it bought from an online seller for P120.
Manufactured in Thailand in March 2024 with lot number 0005, the product weighs 8 grams. The product claims it “reduces body odor while providing whitening effect and smooth skin.” Despite its mercury content, the product further claims it is “safe for all skin type.”
To determine if the product contains mercury, the group used a handheld X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzer, a point-and-shoot scientific device that can identify and measure heavy metals and other chemicals of concern
As per XRF analysis, Q-nic Care Whitening Underarm Cream contains 6,109 parts per million (ppm) of mercury, which far exceeds the legal limit.
The maximum limit for mercury as a heavy metal contaminant in cosmetics is one ppm under the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive, which lists mercury among the substances not allowed in the composition of cosmetic products.
Exposure to the inorganic mercury in skin lightening products, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), may result in kidney damage, skin rashes, discoloration and scarring, reduced skin’s resistance to bacterial and fungal infections, as well as anxiety, depression, psychosis and peripheral neuropathy.
Q-nic Care Whitening Underarm Cream is the second Q-nic product that was found adulterated with mercury by the EcoWaste Coalition. Last November 28, the group revealed that Q-nic Care Whitening Night Cream contains 4,113 ppm of mercury.
It is also the third mercury-tainted underarm cream examined by the group. Previous chemical screenings also found 88 Total White Underarm Cream and Snow White Armpit Whitening Underarm Cream contaminated with high levels of mercury.
The aforementioned underarm whitening creams are offered for sale without proper FDA market authorization in violation of Republic Act No. 9711, or the Food and Drug Administration Act.
To avoid mercury exposure through the use of adulterated skin lightening products, the EcoWaste Coalition reminded consumers to:
-- Consult a doctor if you are using mercury-added skin lightening products.
-- Exercise caution when purchasing cosmetics online or offline, and beware of unauthorized, counterfeit and adulterated products being offered for sale.
-- Be wary of products making over-the-top claims such as immediate and miraculous results, no side effects, and 100% safe.
The group reiterated its call for the strict enforcement of the ban on mercury-added products like skin lightening cosmetics under the Minamata Convention on Mercury. It also repeated its proposal for the FDA to convene a solution-focused multi-stakeholder summit to address the persistent problem with mercury cosmetics in the country.
The group also urged those aspiring for a lighter skin tone to embrace the color we are born with, stressing "natural is beautiful."
References:
https://www.who.int/
https://www.who.int/
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